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Dr. Thomas Turner (Principle Investigator)
Email: turnert@unm.edu Researchgate and Scholar profile I study evolution and ecology of aquatic species, populations, and communities. I use theory, isotopes, genomes, museum resources and experiments to ask questions about the impacts of life history variation, disturbance, climate and land-use changes, and phylogenetic and geological history on biodiversity. I serve on the Independent Science Advisory Board for the Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife Program, the Gila Trout and Chihuahua Chub Recovery Team, and the Executive Committee of the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Act Collaborative Program. I am a Professor of Biology and Curator of Fishes in the Museum of Southwestern Biology. |
Affiliated Scientists
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Dr. Megan Osborne (Senior Research Scientist)
Email: mosborne@unm.edu Megan's web site and Scholar profile I am an evolutionary biologist with expertise in conservation and population genetics, systematics and phylogeography across a broad suite of taxa including fishes, marsupials, birds, amphibians and reptiles. I use empirical genetic data to understand how geological and contemporary processes act to shape how species and their genetic legacy are distributed in space and time. For the past 15 years, I have worked in the arid and semi-arid regions of the American Southwest on population genetics and phylogeography of freshwater fishes of the Rio Grande, Colorado River and Canadian River basins. Current research projects include using parentage analysis to understand the reproductive ecology of Bonytail, long-term genetic monitoring of the Rio Grande silvery minnow and comparative population genetics of Pecos and Canadian River fishes. |
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Dr. Guilherme Caiero Dias (Post-Doctoral Scientist)
Email: gcaeirodias@unm.edu Guilherme's Scholar Profile I am interested in population and conservation genetics and evolution of speciation. I use population genetics and phylogenetic reconstructions to study the evolutionary relationships and distribution of genetic variation. I finished my PhD on Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution, a joint degree from Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto and Faculty of Sciences of University of Lisbon, Portugal. During my PhD I used niche modeling and analysis of hybrid zones in a complex of lizard species to study processes involved in barriers against gene flow and the genomic build-up of reproductive isolation. My PhD work was based on genomic data produced with Next Generation sequencing techniques and analyzed through the most recent bioinformatics resources. |
Graduate Students
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David Camak (PhD Candidate)
Email: dcamak@unm.edu David's Scholar profile My broad interests include ichthyology, population genetics, bioinformatics, and conservation. My research involves using population genetics and bioinformatics methods to assess the dynamics of populations of species that are at risk of extinction in order to guide management decisions. My focal group is the Gila Trout (Oncorhynchus gilae), a federally listed salmonid species native to tributaries of the Gila River in New Mexico and Arizona. Specifically, my work addresses potential threats to Gila Trout including, but not limited to, introgressive hybridization with nonnative Rainbow Trout (O. mykiss), significant population bottlenecks, fragmentation, and significant habitat changes caused by climate change. |
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Alex Cameron (PhD Student)
Email: alcameron@unm.edu Alex's Scholar profile Broadly, I am interested in how genetic processes at the population level vary throughout a species’ range and in turn how this genetic variation may ultimately lead to local adaptation. Prior to joining the Turner lab, my research was predominately focused on lungless salamanders in the genus Plethodon, and spanned a variety of topics including general ecology, genetic marker development, and landscape genetics. My dissertation research is focused on implementing Next-Generation Sequencing methods for a range-wide genetic assessment of two federally listed cyprinids endemic to the Gila River basin, the Loach Minnow (Tiaroga cobitis) and Spikedace (Meda fulgida). |
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Katelyn Driscoll (PhD Student)
Email: katelyndriscoll@fs.fed.us Katelyn's Scholar profile I received my BS in Biology and a Spanish minor from Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA in 2010 and earned my MS in Systems Ecology from the University of Montana in 2015. I currently works as a Research Ecologist for the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station while pursuing my PhD at the University of New Mexico. I am interested in how the structure and function of riparian, aquatic, and groundwater-dependent ecosystems are impacted at large scales by restoration and interacting disturbances. I use diverse tools including field work, modeling, and remote sensing techniques to understand these topics. |
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Eliza Gilbert (PhD Student)
Email: egilbe01@unm.edu Eliza's Scholar Profile I am a rare species conservation biologist employed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. During my nearly 20 years as a biologist, I have worked with herpetofauna and fishes in both marine and freshwater ecosystems. I am interested in applying concepts and methodologies from complexity science, such as the investigation of multi-dimensional and self-organized systems, to improve policy and management of rare species and their ecosystems. More specifically, I am interested in using nonlinear dynamics, time series analysis, and agent-based modeling to identify or infer causal networks between habitat and fish recruitment. |
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Gregor Hamilton (PhD Candidate)
Email: ghamilton@unm.edu I have previously worked largely with reptiles, including Narrow-headed Garter Snakes (Thamnophis rufipunctatus), Dune Sagebrush Lizards (Sceloporus arenicolus), and King Cobras (Ophiophagus hannah). My current research focuses on the effects of invasive aquatic species on freshwater food webs, and how invasive aquatic species affect subsidies and linkages in riparian food webs. I utilize a variety of tools such as stable isotope analysis and mesocosm experiments to investigate these sorts of questions. |
Undergraduates
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Abigail Castro
Email: abbykcastro@unm.edu I am currently an undergraduate freshman pursuing a biology degree at the University of New Mexico. I'm intrigued by the nature and system of how genetics and DNA work, therefore I hope to gain a lot of knowledge throughout these next hopeful years of working in the research lab. After I graduate, I plan on furthering my career in medical school. |
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Madison Paulk
Email: mpaulk@unm.edu Madison is a graduating senior (Class of 2020) at UNM, and a Biology major with a strong interest in Conservation Science. She has worked on a number of projects including Sand Shiner, Bonytail, and Rio Grande Silvery Minnow genetics. She is co-author on a comparative study of the mitochondrial genomes of several threatened and endangered species. |
Research Technicians
Sam McKitrick
Email: smckitrick@unm.edu
One of my primary interests is the population genetics and population structures of oceanic fishes such as Tuna. I have always been curious if these migratory pelagic fishes have district populations within the larger metapopulations of the species (demonstrated through genetics), being that they roam entire oceans and will come together and disperse due to food conditions and mating. I have also considered going into genetic therapy and tissue engineering